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Mar. Thus twice before, and jump at this dead hour,

With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch.

Hor. In what particular thought to work I know not;

But in the gross and scope of my opinion,

This bodes some strange eruption to our state.

Mar. Good now, sit down, and tell me, he that knows,

Why this same strict and most observant watch

So nightly toils the subject of the land;

And why such daily cast of brazen cannon,

And foreign mart for implements of war;

Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task

Does not divide the Sunday from the week;

What might be toward, that this sweaty haste

Doth make the night joint-labourer with the day:

Who is 't that can inform me?

Hor. That can I;

At least, the whisper goes so. Our last king,

Whose image even but now appear'd to us,

Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,

Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate pride,

Dar'd to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet—

For so this side of our known world esteem'd him—

Did slay this Fortinbras; who, by a seal'd compact,

Well ratified by law and heraldry,

Did forfeit with his life all those his lands

Which he stood seiz'd of, to the conqueror;

 65 jump: just

67 thought: train of thinking

68 gross and scope: general drift

70 Good now; cf. n.

72 toils: causes to toil

subject: people, subjects

73 cast: founding

74 mart: traffic, buying and selling

75 impress: enforced service

77 toward: in preparation

83 prick'd on: incited

emulate: ambitious

87 law and heraldry; cf. n.

89 seiz'd of: possessed of

